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Monday, February 7, 2011

Socca (Farinata) - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I suspect that many of you are already familiar with socca, the warm and savory crepe sold by street vendors in Nice and Liguria. While made from identical ingredients, Ligurians refer to the chickpea pizza they share with the French as farinata. Whatever you choose to call them, these large ungainly pancakes are addictive. They've also shed their working class image and, with newfound cache, are now attracting more sophisticated eaters to their ranks of devotees. While they're usually eaten out of hand, they are also wonderful when served as an accompaniment to drinks or with a light salad. Because they are baked, socca are easier to make than standard crepes or pancakes. They contain just four ingredients and are oven ready as soon as the batter has been mixed. So why aren't more people eating them? Not everyone has access to chickpea flour, and among those who do, there is an impatience that demands instantly perfect results. That rarely happens with socca. You have to experiment with timing and consistency and that can be frustrating. You probably won't want to photograph your first attempts with these pancakes, but your results will be wonderfully edible. Experts debate the correct ratio of water to flour. Most favored is the one-to-one ratio that is featured in Mark Bittman's recipe, which you can find here. I prefer the two-to-one ratio, and, by default, the recipe developed by Patricia Wells because I like thin socca. Whichever recipe you use, be forewarned that you'll need a skillet that is ovenproof and at least 12-inches in diameter. I actually use a 15-inch paella pan to cook mine. The socca should be served warm from the oven with a light sprinkling of sea salt and a good grind of black pepper. It should be thick and moist enough to fold and it can be cut or torn into serving sized portions. I really think you'll this and, if you have never had socca, I hope you'll give it a try. Here's the recipe.

Directions:1) Center a rack in oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.2) In a bowl, whisk together flour, water, salt, and 2 tablespoons of oil to form a thin crepe-like batter.3) Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into a large (12 to 15-inch) pan and brush to evenly distribute oil. Place oiled pan in the oven and heat for 5 minutes.4) Remove pan from the oven. Pour batter into the pan, swirling to evenly distribute batter. Return pan to oven and bake until socca is bubbly, colored a deep golden brown and evenly dotted with little crater-like holes, about 18 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle generously with the pepper and coarse salt. Use a metal scraper to scrape the crepe into raggedly shards. Serve warm. Yield: 8 servings.

I think I will choose to call these "Socca, The Large, Ungainly Delicious, and Addictive Pancake," or SLUDAP, for short. "Hey Rich, what are you making?" People will ask me. "Oh, just cooking up some SLUDAPs."

Intrigued enough to order chickpea flour online. I have never had it but it just looks so warming - I love the idea of a crepe with some heft that only needs a grind of pepper and some salt before it's good to go.

My fist taste of the socca was in a Nice market years ago. The yellow crepe was almost gone when I saw it offered by the lady vendor in a loud voice. A minute later a boy in a bicycle brought another huge socca for the lady to sell again. It tasted fine but I enjoyed the visual aspect of it more. Thank you for making this Mary, It really brought back pleasant memories of France.

While in Antibes, there was a huge oven and this guy was making Socca. I tasted and I loved them. I saw the recipe in Around My French Table and wondered if I could make therm at home and here you show me how today; Thank you Mary; you;re good!Rita

I have the 15 inch paella pan now just need to pick up the chickpea flour! I love this recipe and remember seeing this in the old town of Nice a few years ago. Thanks for bringing it back on your Blue Monday;-)

This is one of my favorites Mary! I made a pan on Sunday and no matter how often I make it I always feel like I'm getting a treat. Who knew such simplicity could produce such delicious results!? I will have to give your ratio a try as I have been using a one to one. Have a wonderful week!

I've never tried it either...but I do have a bag of chickpea flour that I never got around to using. Thank you for sharing your words, your photos and your thoughts. I'm blessed to have you in my day! I hope you have a wonderful week, my friend!

Loving this recipe, Mary! I've had socca before at a Tapas resto in Hollywood but didn't know it was from the South of France. GTK because I am studying abroad this summer in Marseilles so maybe I will see some around :-)

Mary!!!! We love farinita and ate it often when we lived in Italy, buying it at a small take out place where we also bought squares of pizza! I have been looking for a recipe and this is it! Your farinata looks exactly like what we enjoyed in Italy. Thanks for a great recipe!

I have only found this in one location in old Nice (have been there 4 times) and got to try it only once. It was cooked in a wood burning oven and that added a gorgeous rustic smokiness to the flavour. I had no idea the ingredients were so simple. I will have to refer back to my photos. There were definitely toppings on these. Several. And some had herbs and spices in them. I have never had them in Northern Italy... but was so sad to see that they are now so hard to find in Nice.I really appreciate this recipe! Chickpea flour is everywhere in Canada. All major grocery stores have it, and we are also dotted with independent Indian grocers who also carry it. I love using it in a variety of things; it is so good for us.Mary - this is definitely on my list.:)ValerieFunny how I am so drawn to all of your sweet posts and the last few I scrolled through are all savoury. I am drawn to them, too - but most are " too exotic" for Vanja...

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